Articles Posted inWhite Collar Crime

With much of the world’s financial activity transitioned from paper-based to online systems, cyber crimes like fraud often occur in the elder abuse context. California already punishes cyber crime and elder abuse harshly when independent from one another. When the two crimes combine into one enterprise, the penalties for conviction can be especially severe. If you have been charged with the internet-based financial exploitation of a California senior citizen, it is imperative that you contact askilled California criminal defense attorney. With the state working to convict you, you need to mount the strongest legal defense possible.

Financial Abuse is a Type of Elder Abuse

Elders are a vulnerable and venerated part of our society. Having made it to the age of 65, these senior citizens command respect as they enjoy their golden years. When the happy times of this respected class of citizens are disturbed by criminal conduct, the law takes action. Elder abuse takes on several forms: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, endangerment, and, most relevant to our discussion here, financial abuse. Not every form of elder financial abuse is computer-based. Someforms include ordinary theft, such as taking money or property. The same is true for the forging of an elder’s signature, or using force or duress to get an elder to sign a will, deed, or power of attorney. However, as more computer-literate generations reach the age of 65, more and more internet-based financial elder abuse occurs, whether through the inducement of elders into financial scams online, or illicitly obtaining an elder’s personal financial information to use for fraudulent online purchases. In other words, personal computers are becoming more and more prevalent in retirement communities every year as an effect of increased computer and online literacy. When internet fraud is perpetrated against an elder, the law is justified in dispensing enhanced punishments – penalties for both the act of fraud, and the perpetration of the act against an elder.

Another White Collar Crime and Corruption case in San Diego! This time involving Department of Defense employees and others steering $5 million dollars in contracts to a computer company. Gary Alexander and his wife, Kelly, allegedly took bribes for a period over eight years from Technical Logistic Corporation.

Obviously, Mr. Alexander and his wife were suspended form their jobs at the government research organization Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command after the bribery, fraud and corruption indictment.

Also indicted were Elizabeth Ramos, Jackie Godwin, Sinthia Nares, Louis Williams and Mr. Alexander’s alleged mistress. Mr. Godwin was the working for Kratos Defense Security Solutions Inc. based in San Diego.

It’s no surprise, we all knew that Mr. Bernard Madoff would get the maximum sentence of 150 years behind bars, not the 12 years his lawyer was requesting, for bilking and defrauding thousands of investors to a tune of $13.2 billion dollars. Simply, the 71 year old Madoff will die in prison.

U.S. District Judge Denny Chin described the fraud scheme as an “extraordinary evil” and the lengthy prison term was meant to symbolically fit the multi-billion dollar fraud committed on his victims. Mr. Madoff did make a statement at his sentencing hearing apologizing calmly to those in attendance. “i will turn and face you, I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t help you.”

Mr. Madoff’s wife, Ruth, also jumped in on the media frenzy and made a statement that she too was also misled by her husband. “I am embarrassed and ashamed…Like everyone else, I feel betrayed and confused.”

San Diego executives Sterling Pirtle and Ronald Fisher plead guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and tax evasion. Both Fisher and Pirtle were principles in the business, Commercial Money Center, now bankrupt, which would sell lease pools to banks that contained $70 million in fraudulent leases.

Nationwide, the company received more than $300 million through its sale of fraudulent leases.The business’ main location was in Escondido but also had offices in Las Vegas and Florida. Each admitted that they failed to pay personal income taxes of one million dollars on money they received through their company. Fisher’s son, mark Fisher, and daughter, Kelly Fisher, previously plead guilty to conspiracy and or tax evasion charges for their involvement in the bank fraud.